Authorities announced Thursday they have recovered the body of the young girl who was swept out to sea in Laguna Beach earlier this week.
The missing child was in the water with her mother and siblings on Tuesday when all three began to struggle in the powerful conditions near Treasure Island Beach, at the south end of Laguna Beach, around 7:30 p.m.
Fast-acting beachgoers entered the surf and rescued the mother and one child, but the girl remained missing and unaccounted for. Authorities have not publicly identified her, but the girl was believed to be about 5 years old.
On Thursday, a female adolescent’s body was sighted about 250 to 300 yards offshore of Christmas Cove, which is about a quarter of a mile north of the area where the girl was swept into the ocean, according to the City of Laguna Beach.
Laguna Beach Marine Safety personnel arrived at the location and recovered the decedent with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol, the city stated.
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division has positively identified the decedent as the missing adolescent swimmer reported on June 9, 2026,” officials said in a release. “The victim’s family has been notified.”
Additional information regarding the identity of the decedent and the cause and manner of death was not immediately provided and, according to the city, will be handled by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division.
